I previously posted about bigot and homophobe extraordinaire, Bill James of the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina County Commission. James continues to have diarrhea of the mouth and further make the case that he's an unhinged ass. A gay friend of mine in the Charlotte area called James' residence in an effort to have a discussion as one of James' constituents and James' reaction was to call the police. As an elected official, James has an obligation to speak with voters and explain his bat shit craziness and bigotry. Both Pam Spaulding and Matt Comer have more coverage on James' latest outrageous nastiness. Pam also brings up an issue that's worth noting: despite the Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, North Carolina's "crimes against nature" statute remains on the books and provides a mechanism to harass LGBT North Carolinians. A similar situation exists in Virginia where the Virginia General Assembly has continued to refuse to repeal the state's sodomy statute even though it was found to be unconstitutional. Here's some of Pam's commentary:*
Bill James isn't through making headlines; he clearly has difficulty coping with his fellow Mecklenburg County Commissioners voting to extend domestic partner benefits to county employees -- and that includes same-sex couples. He not only didn't apologize to Democrat Commissioner Vilma Leake when her referred to her late son, who succumbed to AIDS, he's spewing more homophobic bullsh*t. The cretin is on a roll now; hate mail must give him a boner (Wjames@carolina.rr.com).
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You can also politely let Commission Chair Jennifer Roberts know that language in a reprimand cannot be harsh enough,as LGBT youth groups in Charlotte are outraged by James's bigotry, given he's a public servant. She's been a wonderful ally for years; I interviewed her back in 2005 when James was last in significant eruption mode. But what's more important is to thank the Commission for doing the right thing and supporting the County's gay and lesbian employees and their committed relationships.
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Here's what Matt Comer was reporting on Q-Tips late yesterday on James' view that places where gays gather need to be "de-infested." The man in my view has some serious mental problems:
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In an email to a Charlotte resident, James made the argument that homosexual behavior was still illegal, and that police are “de-infesting” areas where gays congregate. James wrote: “Homosexual conduct is illegal in NC (even after Lawrence V Texas). We arrest 250 homosexuals each year in Mecklenburg alone for either a ‘crime against nature’ or ‘solicitation of a crime against nature’. Unlike prostitution (exchanging money), even suggesting homosexual sex is a criminal offense in NC. If we were all that ‘progressive’ would we be arresting 250 homosexuals a year? Setting up sting operations to de-infest areas where they congregate? Point is, if you want to delude yourself that homosexual conduct is ‘ok’ go ahead. The law, the police and the DA however have a different view.”
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The Charlotte resident, who admits his initial email to James was a bit harsh, was shocked to see the commissioner’s response.“I know original e mail was harsh, but it was in no way threatening — I find his abusive, threatening, and ignorant,” the resident said in an email to Q-Notes. Q-Notes asked James about his use of the word “de-infest” and if he saw how it might be offensive to LGBT people. . . . James said he is a proponent of rigorous debate, but thinks LGBT rights opponents are “dancing around the subject” of the law. “When someone trots out Lawrence v. Texas, I trot out the arrest statistics,” he said. “I say if Lawrence v. Texas is the law of the land, why are there all these arrests? And that ends the discussion usually.”
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You can also politely let Commission Chair Jennifer Roberts know that language in a reprimand cannot be harsh enough,as LGBT youth groups in Charlotte are outraged by James's bigotry, given he's a public servant. She's been a wonderful ally for years; I interviewed her back in 2005 when James was last in significant eruption mode. But what's more important is to thank the Commission for doing the right thing and supporting the County's gay and lesbian employees and their committed relationships.
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Here's what Matt Comer was reporting on Q-Tips late yesterday on James' view that places where gays gather need to be "de-infested." The man in my view has some serious mental problems:
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In an email to a Charlotte resident, James made the argument that homosexual behavior was still illegal, and that police are “de-infesting” areas where gays congregate. James wrote: “Homosexual conduct is illegal in NC (even after Lawrence V Texas). We arrest 250 homosexuals each year in Mecklenburg alone for either a ‘crime against nature’ or ‘solicitation of a crime against nature’. Unlike prostitution (exchanging money), even suggesting homosexual sex is a criminal offense in NC. If we were all that ‘progressive’ would we be arresting 250 homosexuals a year? Setting up sting operations to de-infest areas where they congregate? Point is, if you want to delude yourself that homosexual conduct is ‘ok’ go ahead. The law, the police and the DA however have a different view.”
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The Charlotte resident, who admits his initial email to James was a bit harsh, was shocked to see the commissioner’s response.“I know original e mail was harsh, but it was in no way threatening — I find his abusive, threatening, and ignorant,” the resident said in an email to Q-Notes. Q-Notes asked James about his use of the word “de-infest” and if he saw how it might be offensive to LGBT people. . . . James said he is a proponent of rigorous debate, but thinks LGBT rights opponents are “dancing around the subject” of the law. “When someone trots out Lawrence v. Texas, I trot out the arrest statistics,” he said. “I say if Lawrence v. Texas is the law of the land, why are there all these arrests? And that ends the discussion usually.”
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